NDP want probe into Patrick Brown's PC leadership run

A NDP MP has requested an investigation into the more than seven months that Patrick Brown wore two hats — as a sitting federal Conservative MP and a leadership candidate for the Ontario Progressive Conservatives.

In a letter to the federal Internal Board of Economy, Welland MP Malcolm Allen notes that Brown did not take a leave of absence from his duties as the federal representative for the riding of Barrie and continued to draw a full MP salary during his ultimately successful leadership bid.

“Brown spent a great deal of time on activities that had absolutely nothing to do with the normal duties of a federal Member of Parliament,” Allen said in his complaint. “He neglected his parliamentary work and missed many votes in the House. In fact, Brown’s presence in the House of Commons was increasingly rare after the official start of the provincial leadership race.”

Allen asked that the board look at Brown’s activities during the period of Sept. 28, 2014 to May 14, 2015, and that the investigation include use of parliamentary resources such as his cellphone and other electronics.

Brown attended only 31 of 131 votes in the federal House between Nov. 8, 2014 to May 13, and his Twitter feed revealed him to be involved in provincial campaign activities, Allen said.

Ontario NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson said Brown needs to be “honest” with Ontarians and explain his federal expenses.

“It’s clear that Patrick Brown was more concerned with running for PC leader than serving the people that elected him. Who is he really looking out for?” Bisson said.

Brown, who is currently on a tour in Northern Ontario, asked in a statement whether Allen also intended to draw the board’s attention to the MP expenses of Thomas Mulcair, Peggy Nash, Paul Dewar, Nathan Cullen and Niki Ashton during their 2012 federal NDP leadership race.

“The letter disseminated by the NDP MP from Welland is unfortunate and demonstrates that the NDP are clearly nervous about the inroads I have made with the people of Northern Ontario since I became leader of the Ontario PC Party,” Brown said. “I look forward to moving past the politics of division, which has contributed to a loss of confidence in our political process.”